Grandma Betty

I'm sitting here in the computer lab after my class, and reflecting on the last week+, so I figured I might as well blog about it.
I'd never lost anyone really close to me before this weekend. I can say that if you have experienced it, it is a really hard time full of confusion, sadness, and emotion. As we drove to the hospital on Tuesday night to see me grandma, I think I knew that it would be the last time I would get to see her on earth, but I was still holding on to hope that it wouldn't be. I don't want to say my hope faded as the early morning came, but rather changed; When I arrived, I was hoping that Grandma was going to live and I would be able to see her in her garden or in her sewing room again. As the night went on, I hoped that she would just let go so that she could meet Jesus sooner rather than suffering here on this temporary home.

Grandma was an exceptional lady. I don't just say that because she was my grandma. She loved many things, but most of all, she loved her family. When we moved to Clare in 2000 to be closer to her and grandpa (1 mile away!!), I didn't quite understand why we were moving. Now I know. My grandma was always the one cheering the loudest at my 7th and 8th grade basketball games, or clapping loudly with a huge grin on her face at my band concerts. Grandma was always there for me, and she got to experience my life rather than just be a part of it a few weekends out of the year. I am so thankful for that time I got to spend with my Grandma.

Grandma had pulminary fibrosis, a disease that basically binds up your lungs over time, and keeps you from taking in enough oxygen. Grandma knew she had it, but continued on experiencing life and didn't let it stop her. She had always been a fighter, even to the end. She loved shooting skeet at the Rod and Gun Club, and especially loved beating the guys (which happened more often than not!!). She loved sewing and gardening, and mowing the lawn. She reminded me that it was the simple things in life that matter most.

One of the biggest lessons my cousins and I learned from Grandma and Grandpa was what true love really is. They were married for 53 years, and every year, the love  just seemed to grow. Watching grandma and grandpa dance was one of my favorite things to do. They could move around a dancefloor so gracefully, and you could see the passion and love they had for each other while they danced (and afterward, too). They stood by each other through everything -- hardships and good times. They loved unconditionally.

My grandma isn't hurting anymore, and she is now dancing and singing with Jesus, her Beloved. While I miss her, I am thankful for this. I can't wait to see her again in Heaven, where I can dance and sing with her.

I love you, Grandma. Thank you for being the best Gram a girl could ask for. See you later :)

College Life (2 Days A Week)

Today is a Tuesday, which means I am at college. The difference of today from the last few Tuesdays is that:

1.) I started carpooling today with a girl named Jessica. She's pretty cool, and our schedules are pretty much the same, which makes carpooling work well.

2.) I had some surprise visitors meet me outside of my first class (they were both super cute ;P) and then eat lunch with Jessica and I.

3.) Lunch actually ended up being Josh, Aurelia, myself, Jessica, Kyle, and Brady, at McDonald's. It was a lot of fun.

4) I don't have any homework to be working on right now, so I am just enjoying my time between classes.

Also, I am writing you a blog just to write you a blog. It was interesting today, having my 'college life' meet my 'real life'. It can be easy to get into the flow of things here, at college. It was a lot of fun having Aurelia and Josh here -- it made me appreciate them even more than I already did. I absolutely love being with them, and I am glad that my life has worked out the way it has. It might not be traditional to go to college and get married before you finish, but God definitely knew it was what was right for me. Without Aurelia (or Josh), I don't think I would be as motivated at college the second time around. Also, I forgot how much fun it was to just hang out with people and be crazy. If anything, Aurelia just adds to it, because she is crazy!

Anyway, today has been a good day. Oh, and the weather is pretty nice, as well. A nice fall day.

As Summer Comes to An End

There never seems to be a dull moment here. I think I've started many blogs like that lately. But before I start, I want to tell you all that there is an older couple here (at McDonald's (in their 70's)) drinking coffee, and laughing like they just started dating. They have rings on, so I am guessing they have been married for a while. They have talked of many things, and made lots of jokes. They have also talked of the size of my car compared to the huge truck parked next to it. And which way the clouds are going. The point is, they look at each other like they are truly in love. They have a sparkle in their eye. That's what I want for Josh and I when we are old and have nothing better to do but go to McD's!! (The man just asked his wife, "so now what?", like they are on an adventure and are deciding what they should do!!!)

So, This past week/weekend has been exciting, in a good way and a bad way. We have fought sickness, tiredness (brought on by sickness...), and doctors who don't seem to want to be anywhere but helping patients...* I think we are now coming out on the healthy side of that battle, and we are enjoying being able to stay awake when we are together and Aurelia is asleep :P

Josh has also worked a pretty long weekend -- 14 hours on Saturday and a few more on Sunday -- so he was pretty wiped out. He was pretty excited, however, to sell some of his musical equipment :) He sold his 5 string bass guitar as well as his Marshall half-stack :)

It has been different getting used to going back to classes.... Its nice to get learning things again, and its been good for Josh and Aurelia to have some daddy-daughter time together on Tuesdays and Thursdays! When its time for the weekend, though, I am usually glad to stay home and get some time with my little bugaboo!

Today, Aurelia wanted to watch her video** about the orchestra, and they talked about the saxophone, which made me want to get mine out. So we took a ride over there*** and got my sax, and I remembered just how much I love it. So I asked Josh if I could play for service this Sunday. I'm going to play a few songs!!! I can't wait, but I have a lot of practicing to do!

I really want to try and not make these so update-ish, but it always seems to happen that way. Maybe I'll try to do something different next time :)

This explains why there are so many little blurbs****

*If you haven't heard, Josh has been fighting what we think is an ear/throat infection, and Aurelia has been fighting a cold, and I have just been fighting to stay healthy ( I had some type of stomach bug, but nothing major... just some nausea!). And the doc we saw for Josh seemed to be not fully there, and didn't really even listen to what Josh was telling him... but we thankfully got the meds he needed to get healthy.

**We still don't have a TV, but Josh has a brilliant idea to hook up the projector to the DVD player, and use our wall as a screen. It's been working great!!

*** The Smith's, who live here at the campground, have migrated to Florida for the winter, and have been gracious enough to let us use their golf cart until it gets cold!!

****Doing these little blurbs are kind of annoying, especially when there are so many. But for some reason, I had the urge to do them in this blog. Probably because I just got done reading Kelsey's blog. She does them, but not so many of them. So its not so bad. But this is just out of control.

First Day of School

Today is my first day of school. Again. I am writing between classes, during my three hour break. I mainly wanted to talk about how great our God is, because He is guiding all of this school thing. Josh is able to have tuesdays and Thursdays off all semester, which means we don't have to pay for a sitter.
And for the two classes I am taking, both four credits, the only thing we will end up paying is about $230, thanks to financial aid. I was amazed at the way God is working to make this happen!

We have definitely met some hiccups along the way, things Satan was using to try and stop it from happening. But we have made it through everything and I think that it is going to be a good winter.

The biggest setback was when I learned that the math class I had signed up for was not located on the main campus of Delta, but in Bay City. I had to get into a different section of the class, which was full. Thankfully, the Professor gave me permission to join her class when I explained my situation to her, so praise God for that! I never thought I'd be happy to get into a math class... :D (We'll see how I feel after I go to the class and have to do the work...)

I have about 20 minutes before class, so I am going to go find the room I need to be in, and use the bathroom (This building is a maze; it's a big square with hallways going in all directions and three floors. With my directional skill, I am bound to get lost at least once... more :p)

Well, thats it for now. I will keep you posted on things.

Oh! The Following: has a concert in Elkton on October 4th. You should come check it out. More details to come!

School, Gigs, and Being a Mom

As the summer is coming to an end soon (WHAT?!?!), things seem to be just getting started at the Hill household. Life has been keeping us busy and on our toes constantly. Here's an insight to a few things that have been happening...

The Following: has been blessed to play at some great places this summer, and we still have a few more gigs to play at before the summer winds down. After that, we will be looking at getting into the studio this winter to record some of our songs so you can have them wherever you go!!! We wouldn't be able to be a band without the help and support from so many people, and I am thankful for them in our lives! From the people who watch Aurelia while we practice twice a week to the church for letting us practice there, and all the people who have come out to listen to us, to give us an audience, and who have supported us through prayer and through buying our merchandise. THANK YOU!!!

With that being said, it has been a challenge to get practice time in when Aurelia doesn't have someone to watch her. She enjoys being with us when we practice but a) she would rather be playing the instruments and b) it's just too loud for her to be there all the time! This hasn't been too much of a problem because we have been practicing in Kingston at the church. But since I got the new drumset, we have been practicing at Wesleyan Woods, and it has been a bit more difficult to find a sitter out here! While I know that God is leading us and calling us to share Him through music, He has blessed me with a beautiful daughter, and she is my #1 priority, especially over drumming. :P But, I know that God will work it out if it is His will to take the band further!!!!!

Also, volleyball season is starting! I am again helping out with the 7th and 8th grade teams at Kingston Schools, and while it is already a bit stressful, I am super excited to meet the 7th graders and work again with the 8th graders! It is cool to watch them learn and grow, and also to be an influence to them during the season :)

Hopefully, if all works out, I will also be taking a class or two at Delta, working toward finishing an Associates Degree. I am really excited about this!

Through all of this craziness, we will be moving to the house at the camp. I am excited to see what God has in store for me this winter -- I think some awesome things are going to happen! I have enjoyed being able to spend this summer away from the media (for the most part); it has been a great time to be a family, and to grow stronger in Christ. I will admit I have missed being able to sit Aurelia in front of a show so I can get a job done, or when she's teething in the middle of the night. But because we haven't been able to do that, I feel like I have gotten creative in parenting and have been outside more!

This was kind of a whirlwind blog, but I just thought you should know we are still alive and breathing :) Lots of things are going on and I am enjoying the moments!

I will leave you with this verse, because God has been proving it to me over and over lately, and I have been thinking about it a lot lately:

Ephesians 3:20 -- Look it up, its a good one!!

God Bless

Running For My Life

If you are interested in running, track and field, the Olympics, or hearing a true story of one of the many 'Lost Boys', Running For My Life  keep you intrigued. It is the story of Lopepe "Lopez" Lomong, a boy who was taken from his home in Sudan when he was only six. In his book, he tells of the challenges he faced while running for his life to safety, and how he ended up fulfilling the dream of running for the United States of America.

Lopez Lomong keeps your attention as he tells his story. While his story is one full of loss, hardships and tragedy, Lopez always seems to be full of hope and faith. Through out the entire book, Lopez gives credit to God for getting him through the hardest times in his life, and for giving him the gift of running. Not only did his personal story interest me, but it was an encouragement to read about how someone could go through such hardship and come out on the other side still praising God and also wanting to give everything back to people who need it.

If you are looking for a page-turner that is full of laughs, tears, and encouragement, I would recommend this book to you. I loved learning about Lopez, and am excited to watch him run and cheer him on during the 2012 Olympics! This book gives you and inside look at a Lost Boy who found worth and acceptance in the United States.

A Small Update

As many of you know, we don't have a computer or internet access at the campground, so we can only use the computer during library hours, and then when Josh isn't working and someone can stay with Aurelia. To be honest, it has been nice not being on Facebook all the time, but I have missed the resources internet provides. I feel less connected, but have enjoyed myself more and have been less stressed lately.

This week, our church district is holding family camp at Wesleyan Woods, and there are people everywhere. It is quite a nice change to the quiet campground we usually find ourselves in. It has been nice seeing people from our church here at camp, and making new friends with people from the other Wesleyan churches in our district. (It's funny - people assume we know who they are talking about when they are talking about someone, especially a pastor from a church in the district, and we usually have no idea. At least I don't. We are on the outside of the circle when it comes to Wesleyans right now ;P Guess we have to meet everyone and work our way in!!)

This week, with Chef Mike catering family camp, we get to eat every meal for free. This was a horrible week to start a cleanse/diet... :) I have chosen to do a four week cleanse where the first week is just fruits and veggies. I was on day 3 when family camp started, and it has been SUPER hard, because the food looks pretty delicious! But I'd like to think it is making my will power stronger by not eating it! Week 1 ended yesterday, and I think I lost about 5 pounds from it. This week, I am adding lowfat/fat free dairy, eggs, and nuts to the diet. Next week is whole grains, and the last week is lean meats. I decided to go drastic to cut out the junk food of my life. I was sick of making excuses. The great thing ( I think!) is that is seems like EVERYONE at camp knows I'm 'cleansing', which means lots of accountability!!

Another good and exciting step forward in our lives: Aurelia got a cold last Thursday, and of course along with a cold comes her brittle asthma. The great news is that we didn't have to go to the ER at all, or the doctor! We saw the signs, and got her on her breathing treatments right away, and she is doing really well [Other than those tantrums she is learning to throw when she doesn't get what she wants :P]. She loves to be outside at the campground, and one of her favorite things is riding around in her stroller.

So, things are going really well. We want to post pictures of our camper and life since we've been at The Woods, but right now, we don't have a way to upload them, so hopefully we will find one soon. Also, the band is playing at the Meritime Festival in Harbor Beach on July 15th, so you should come out and see The Following: if you get a chance!

In this all, God has done some amazing things, and we give all the glory to Him. One other exciting thing is I am looking at going back to college to finish. I have applied to a couple schools and from the looks of it, should be able to get started in the Fall! As of right now, I am kind of taking an interest in Nutrition stuff, so who knows? Maybe I'll end up getting a degree in that! The important part is just that I am finally going to finish at least some sort of degree :)